Date of intake:: 7/6/2026

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Stray (Unknown History)

Date of assessment:: 7/8/2026

Summary:: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Loose Reactivity to humans: None Reactivity to dogs: None Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Timid- quickly warms up, leans into petting Call over: Readily approaches- soft body, leans into touch Sociability comments: gently takes treats, vocal Handling Soft handling: Allowed-leans into touch, soft body Exuberant handling: Allowed- leans into touch, soft body Handling comments: Arousal Jog: Follow- panting Arousal comments: Knock: No response Knock Comments: Toy: fearful of prompt hand Toy comments:

Summary:: Due to entering the facility as a stray, there is no prior dog-dog history recorded. 07/25/26 Stellaluna is introduced to a novel male while off leash. She slowly approaches with a tense frame and becomes increasingly tense throughout. Her hackles raise and she hard stares the male as the greet continues so she is walked away. 07/13/26 Stellaluna is introduced to a novel male while off leash. She slowly approaches with an anxious frame and will sniff the male through the fence with wide eyes, a slightly tense frame, and her tail wags intermittently, appearing conflicted throughout.

Summary (5):: 07/26/26: Stellaluna is at the front of her kennel as the handler approaches. She muzzle punches the door, but when the handler opens the door to leash her, she stands still and is leashed with ease. She is brought to the office where she takes treats and sits between the handler's legs. She explores briefly, but returns to the handler and sits again. Stellaluna is brought back to her kennel and returned with no issue, but as soon as the handler closes the kennel door, Stellaluna jumps repeatedly on the door, hard barking and bearing teeth. The handler locks the kennel and steps away as to not stress her out further. 7/25/26: Stella Luna is laying down on her bed at the back of her kennel as handler approaches. She is able to be leashed while being distracted with treats and is then taken outside for a walk. On the walk, she would slowly walk behind the handler on the way to the yard. She would constantly stop walking behind the handler and is able to be coaxed forward as the handler speaks to her and offer her treats. In the yard, she is comfortable exploring around to sniff and then approaches the gate to seek exit. She is then slowly returned back to her kennel with no issues. When the handler locks the door, she begins to jump, bark and snarl at the door as the handler locks it and walks away. 7/25/26: Stellaluna is observed to leash bite with as staff member as they are returning her to kennel. She leash bites mildly and lets go of the leash on her own, but begins to lunge at the kennel door and hard bark. 7/25/26 (D2D): Stellaluna was standing at the front of her kennel with a neutral body as handler approached. She was easily leashed and taken to the backyard for D2D (Please see dog to dog notes for details). On the ramp leading to the back yard she stopped twice and handler had to encourage her to continue, she refused treats. Once up ramp she stopped again and was refusing to continue but a second handler came and jogged past getting Stellaluna to follow them. She was returned to kennel with no issue.

Summary (6):: 07/22/2026 (adoption interaction): Stella Luna was taken out by an adoption counselor for an interaction. Counselor reported Stellaluna did not want to come out but was able to leash her and initiate a walk towards the play yard. Counselor reached the top of the ramp where Stellaluna refuse to keep walking and attempted to return to shelter. An additional counselor was requested for assistance to see if an interaction could potentially be carried out. Stellaluna was not interested in treats but was receptive to gentle coaxing, following the second handler towards the pens. While she was slowly walking towards the pen, due to her heavy breathing and the heat outside, the pen interaction was called off. Adopter instead briefly interacted outside of the pen with Stellaluna accepting pets, afterwards she walked back to shelter with moderate pulling. Upon returning to the kennel, Stellaluna walked inside and turned her back to the handler staring at the back of the kennel with a tense body. As handler was removing the leash Stellaluna snapped towards their hand. Leash was removed and she fully turned around and began to hard back at handler. Handler closed the kennel door and covered kennel. Barking stopped shortly after. A lock was not on her kennel so a new one was requested. Handler approached to place lock and Stellaluna was initially soft. Handler placed lock and offered a treat, as handler moved hand towards the top of the kennel Stellaluna began hard barking again.

Summary (7):: 7/24/26: Stellaluna was laying at the back of kennel before coming forward barking. When handler began to unlock kennel door he stopped barking and came forward with a neutral body. He was leashed with a treat lure before pulling hard out of the kennel room. Once outside he continued to pull up hill before stopping at the top of the street. He stopped at the top of the street before proceeding back down the hill pulling moderately toward the gate. Once in the building he stopped pulling and walked without issue back to kennel. He was rekenneled with no issue. 7/23/26: Stella Luna is laying down on her bed at the back of her kennel as handler approaches. She comes forward to the front with a neutral body frame as the handler unlocks the door and is able to be slowly leashed with ease. She is then taken outside for a walk. Along the way, she would constantly baulk behind the handler and refuse to walk forward. She would hard stare at handlers that were close by and is able to continue walking when the handler tosses treats, but she does not eat them. On the walk outside, she instantly relieves herself and when reaching the top of the ramp, she baulks to the ground and refuses to continue walking. She then pulls hard back down the ramp and has no reactions to dogs or people passing by. She is in then taken back to her kennel with no issues. 7/22/26 (Midday): It was reported that as handler attempted to leash, Stellaluna began hard barking and snapping at the front of her crate. She unable to be removed from kennel. 7/22/26 (AM): It was reported that Stellaluna was balking throughout her walk. When being returned to her crate she lunged, began hard barking, and snapped at handlers' hands as they were locking the crate. 7/20/26 (late entry): Stellaluna is at the front of her crate as the handler uncovers it. She is tense and hard staring at the handler, tracking them as they unlocked the door and leashed her. The handler stepped behind the crate door and gave Stellaluna ample space to exit the kennel on her own which she did slowly while staring at the handler with the whites of her eyes visible. She will continue this hard staring even as they exit the kennel room where she will pancake. She does not move for treats or slight leash pressure so the handler returns her to kennel, clipping the ring of the leash she is walking quickly back into her crate. She will then turn around and hard bark as the handler removes the leash, locks the door, and covers her crate. 7/13/26 (playgroup): Stellaluna is in her crate laying down at the front. She is leashed with no issue and brought to the play yard where she will maintain a tense frame at the fence as she greets a novel dog. She is removed and returned to her kennel with no issue. (see dog-dog for more information)

Date of intake:: 7/6/2026

Summary:: Friendly, anxious

Date of initial:: 7/9/2026

Summary:: allowed staff to leash, low growled when put onto scale, allowed for exam, growling and snapping

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

Recommendations:: No children (under 13),Recommend no dog parks,Place with a New Hope partner

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to the concerning escalations displayed during her stay in care, we recommend that Stellaluna be placed in an adult-only home. Recommend No Dog Parks: Due to the concerning behaviors that Stellaluna has shown during playgroup (see DOG-DOG SUMMARY), we feel that she should not visit dog parks. The Behavior Department recommends that she be socialized in a more controlled setting until her behavior towards other dogs can be further addressed. Reward-based, force-free training can be utilized to help Stellaluna associate dogs with things she enjoys, like toys or treats. Place with a New Hope partner: Due to all noted concerns displayed during her stay in care, the behavior department recommends Stellaluna be placed with a New Hope placement partner who is able to provide an experienced adult-only foster home. A period of decompression is recommended to allow her to acclimate comfortably to her new environment; force-free, reward-based training only is advised when introducing Stellaluna to new and unfamiliar situations. Consultation with a professional trainer/behaviorist is highly recommended for guidance to safely manage/modify any behavior Stellaluna presents with outside of the care centers.

Potential challenges: : Handling/touch sensitivity,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Kennel presence

Potential challenges comments:: Handling/touch sensitivity |Fearful/potential for defensive aggression |Kennel presence: Stellaluna was reported to escalate to growling and snapping when placed on the scale and during her exam. On one occasion, she escalated to similar behaviors when being returned to her crate and during removal. When approached, she began hard barking at handlers. It is important to always go slow and give her the option to walk away from any social interaction. Stellaluna should never be forced to approach anything that she is uncomfortable with or to submit to petting or handling. Please see handouts on Handling/touch sensitivity, Fearful/potential for defensive aggression, and kennel presence.